Since that day, the Torturer's character took an one-eighty turn.

Perhaps she was afraid that she would end up in Alpha's hands again, or perhaps she was simply afraid that Liora would kill her. But no matter why, from that day onward, her willingness to serve Liora had seemingly surpassed that of Alpha, nearly matching that of Scurry.

Not only did the Torturer take the initiative to give Liora the Gothic castle, but she also gifted her the entire City of Pain, claiming that she was merely managing in her stead for now.

Liora didn't comment on the Torturer's sudden change of attitude.

Whether she was truly loyal or she was just pretending, time would let her know sooner or later.

Under this strange tacit understanding between the two, time quickly went by.

--

Day and night alternated, and before long, almost an entire week had gone by.

Seated on a throne at the center of a large hall, Liora sat with her legs crossed before her, her gaze focused on the many pools of blood on the ground in front of her.

One of these pools exuded a freezing temperature, causing ice to form around it, while others boiled like magma, squirmed eerily, or even devoured the floor beside them.

Obviously, this was not ordinary blood, but Devil blood that Liora had specially requested the Torturer to collect.

As for the method she used to achieve this goal, Liora neither cared nor asked.

Glancing at the many blood pools that had just been delivered, Liora didn't hesitate for long.

Rising to her feet, she approached the one closest to her, and after leaning down slightly, she submerged her hand below it.

Her actions instantly caused an intense reaction.

The crimson veins covering the Myriad Devils Armor twisted violently and, like a pack of hungry wolves, pounced on the blood in front of them.

The blood's surface gradually lowered as the crimson took mouthful after mouthful, and, in the blink of an eye, the entire pool vanished.

Liora watched this scene unfold with a composed expression.

After the blood had completely disappeared, she walked toward another blood pool and did the same.

One after another, the many pools were soon emptied, unable to withstand the rate at which she devoured them.

But, as a result, the black color of the Myriad Devils Armor seemed to have deepened, a faint tinge flashing on its surface.

Yet, when Liora paid attention to her own changes, she discovered that the improvement of her defenses had been quite limited.

"The essence of Young Devils can no longer enhance the Myriad Devils Armor. This is true for even the blood of ranked Devils. Perhaps only by devouring the blood of Lesser Devils can it progress further."

"But this makes sense. My defenses are equivalent to those of a Lesser Devil. If I could continue improving them through devouring the blood of weak creatures, this ability wouldn't have cost so few Evolution Points."

Of course, this didn't mean that Liora had obtained no benefits.

As she opened her System Panel, Liora's gaze shifted to the Abilities column, and following a move of her mind, a short description appeared in her field of vision.

...

[Myriad Devils Armor]

[Effects:]

[...]1

[Evolution:]

[As a result of having devoured the blood and flesh of a large number of flame-based Devils, you've gained a small amount of immunity to Fire damage.]

[... you've gained a small amount of immunity to Ice damage.]

[... you've gained a small amount of immunity to Shadow damage.]

[... you've gained a small amount of immunity to Poison damage.]

[... you've gained a small amount of immunity to Lightning damage.]

[...]

[Current Potential: Lesser Devil (Further upgrades require Evolution Points)]

...

Before her, a long list of different evolutions unfolded.

These evolutions were the result of a seemingly worthless part of the Myriad Devils Armor's Gluttony effect—it could evolve based on the material it consumed.

Although these evolutions didn't enhance Liora's strength much, their effect was still fairly noticeable overall.

"In fights, even the most minuscule change can bring unexpected effects. Perhaps, these small amounts of immunity can be the deciding factor one day.", Liora pondered, satisfied.

Closing the System Panel, she walked back to her seat, ready to continue her research on the mysterious blood. Just then, though, her expression changed.

Lifting her head, Liora stared blankly at the space in front of her, and her gaze seemed to penetrate straight through the castle's stone walls, landing on the city outside and surveying it.

As she was about to investigate further, a loud knock came from the stone door sealing the hall.

"Enter.", she spoke, and following her order, the door swung open and the Torturer walked into the room.

Approaching her, she slightly lowered her head and spoke:

"My Lady, the ranked Devils are starting to arrive. I came to ask you for your instructions.", she stated, her eyes wandering around the floor amidst her nervousness.

Liora was not surprised by her words, having already noticed several demonic auras converging toward the City of Pain. These auras were very strong—surpassing pretty much every Devil she had met apart from a select few.

As such, their identity was clear to her.

Seeing that the Torturer remained silent, as if awaiting her next command, Liora rose from her seat and approached her with steady steps.

Stretching her hand, she gently patted her on the shoulder and spoke in a deep voice:

"You can wait for all the ranked Devils to arrive before bringing them here. You don't have to mention my existence.", she instructed, and in response, the Torturer weakly nodded her head.

Following another respectful salute, she turned around, seemingly in a hurry, and exited the hall.

The moment the Torturer stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, her body froze while her face instantly lost its color.

Her knees trembled, and the bones all over her body made a continuous, eerie cracking sound, as if they had all burst into fragments.

Subconsciously, she opened her mouth, spitting out a mouthful of blood that splattered across the ground.

Staring at her own devastated reflection on the floor, a trace of hatred and cruelty flashed in her bloodshot eyes.

But the Torturer quickly hid it, regaining her obedient and harmless look.

After waving her hand and cleaning up the blood on the floor, she walked away with her back straightened, as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, inside the hall, Liora glanced casually at the place where the Torturer originally stood.

There, two deep pits had unknowingly formed, one on each side of where her feet had been just earlier.

[1. Gluttony: Absorbs the blood and flesh of slain Devils to improve its structure and enhance physical and soul defense. The armor can evolve over time, depending on the material it consumes.][2. Blood Resonance: When the wearer's blood is spilled, the armor will automatically absorb it. Part of it will be converted into energy to heal wounds, while the other will temporarily improve strength.]

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